Derek's Eye Still on Top Prize

18 April 2017

Chris Groves

WITH promotion to Sky Bet League 1 confirmed with a 6-1 win over Newport County, the typically focused Derek Adams has already turned his attention to an even greater prize.

The Green Army got to witness their football securing promotion for the first time in over ten years – and the Greens marked the moment in some style. Goals from Ryan Taylor and Graham Carey, along with braces from Jake Jervis and Matty Kennedy, secured Argyle’s most emphatic win under the stewardship of Adams.

But, while supporters and players were rightfully drinking in a special moment in the club’s history, Derek had turned his attention to the day’s other results, then the league table, then the goal of sealing the League 2 title.

“Looking at the results today”, said Adams, “we’ve been able to get three points back on Doncaster. We’ve knocked their goal difference as well, and we’ll continue to push to the final kick of the game to see if we can win the championship.

“At this moment in time, I’m thinking about trying to catch Doncaster. That’s the way we’re trying to think. We’re trying to win the championship. Doncaster are three points ahead, but we’ve got to aim that way. We’ve got three games to go. We can still win the title. We’ve got to try and do it.”

Clearly, Adams is not one to dwell on achievements. With a long-term vision for the club and an understanding of the passionate fan-base, Derek is intent in helping all facets of the club be prepared for further success.

“I’ve come to a football club that wanted to get out of this division – needed to get out of this division. With that brings its pressure. This football club believes it should be in a higher division, and we’ve been able to do that as a collective unit.

“They’ve been through some difficult times, through administration. They’ve followed them through the leagues, from the Championship down to League 2. They want this club to be successful. A lot of people put a lot of hard work into it and we’ve been able to succeed.

“Financially we need to become better, on and off the pitch. That’s something that we’ll look to do over the years. It’s not going to happen in the blink of an eye. This year, we’ve done exceptionally well with the budget we’ve had. It’s a testament to the players and the staff.”